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Selasa, 24 November 2015
TREDEGAR HOUSE: Home of one of Wales Most Illustrious Families
TREDEGAR HOUSE
Tredegar House, near Newport Wales, was the home of the Morgan family for over 500 years and later the home of the Lords Tredegar, one of the most powerful and influential families in the area. The mansion is surrounded by a landscaped garden of 90 acres and is one of the most outstanding houses of the Restoration period in Britain. The earliest part of the building dates back to the late 15th century but it�s been restored over the ages. It was originally built of stone and later rebuilt with red brick.
The name Tredegar came from Tredegar Fawr, the name of the mansion of the old Morgans who were descended from Cadifor the Great, the son of Collwyn who owned the land where the mansion stands. It was occupied by the Morgan family from about 1402. The earliest documented owner was Llewelyn ap Morgan. The Morgans were one of the most powerful and influential families in the area. In 1448 John Morgan was created a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre and was rewarded for his support of King Henry VII. Around 1490 he commissioned the building of a new house at Tredegar, though a wing of the original stone manor house still exists. The newer palatial house was visited by Charles I and his retinue during the 1600�s.
We walked through the gardens and passed through the high ornate Edney Gates to get into the building. The gilded gates were built between 1714 and 1718 for John Morgan and are an example of early 18th century decorative wrought ironwork. Just past the gates is the Stable Block which housed the many horses owned by the family.
The Edney Gates
Once inside the palatial mansion, the docent showed us the way to proceed through the various rooms, all furnished in the style of the period with oil paintings on the walls. In one of the rooms there was a large oil painting of Godfrey Morgan who fought in the Charge of the Light Brigade. He is pictured with his famous steed, Sir Briggs. Morgan, age 22 and Captain in the 17th Lancers, and his horse survived the battle. They lived at Tredgar house until the horse�s death at the age of 28. Sir Briggs was buried with full military honours in the Cedar Garden of Tredgar House. There were luxurious bedrooms with decorative furnishings, everything laid out as if the rooms were still occupied by the ladies and gentlemen of the family. In the dining room there was even food displayed on the tables to illustrate the sumptuous feasts that were served there.
Every room we visited had display of the history of this illustrious family, throughout the generations.
Godfrey Morgan and Sir Briggs
The Dining Room
The Morgans were a renown family. Besides the infamous Caribbean privateer, Henry (Sir Harri) Morgan who began as an admiral of the Royal Navy, there are many tales of ill-fated marriages, riotous parties, war heroism and even the dark arts. The docent hosts at the house related some of these tales to us as we walked through the various room.
We visited the servant's quarters and kitchens which were reminiscent of the popular TV series Downton Abbey. There some of the secrets of the servants were revealed including concealed drawers full of spices and a silver safe that was always protected by a guard.
Buzzers for calling servants
Kitchen
Head Servant's quarters
Eventually the family's financial assets were depleted through their extravagant lifestyle and the eccentricities of the owners. The last Baron of Tredegar, John Morgan, died childless in 1962 at aged 54. His death was the end of the Morgans of Tredegar. In 1951 the house was stripped and the contest auctioned. It was turned over the National Trust and refurbished in 2012.
Jumat, 06 Februari 2015
FROM BYZANTIUM TO WAR HISTORY: Visiting Two of Athens Many Museum
Courtyard of the Byzantine & Christian Museum
Votive Boat
Silver Votive Offerings
There's a large choice of museums to visit in Athens, from the spectacular New Acropolis Museum, and older National Archaeological Museum to much small but just as significant museums. Each time I go to Athens I try to visit a couple of these interesting collections of Greek history. This time I decided to stop by the Byzantine and Christian Museum on Vassilis Sofias as I hadn't been there in a number of years. The museums was completely refurbished in 2004 and displays a number of wonderful artifacts, altogether 3000 of them including coins. 
The beautiful buildings housing the museum were once the home of the Dutchesse de Plaisance, an eccentric French-Philhellene, widow of a Napoleonic general who helped fund the War of Independence.
The exhibits start with the early days of Christianity and follow through the Byzantine era with displays of everything to ordinary daily life in those times to religious icons, parts of early churches, mosaics of floors and wall frescoes, and a Coptic section displaying clothing as well as other artifacts.
Check the website for more details at www.byzantinemuseum.gr
The Museum is closed on Mondays and certain holidays. Full admission is 4 Euro, reduced 2 Euro
The War Museum
More appealing to me was the newly restored Lyceum of Aristotle that 's just around the corner.
I'll post photos and details about this in my next blog.
Pigeons on a Fence
Minggu, 09 November 2014
ENGLAND 2014: FIRST STOP, CAERPHILLY, WALES!
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Caerphilly Castle
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My father, Rev. Fred Filer, grew up in the town of Caerphilly, Wales (Caerffili) and ever since my very first trip overseas in 1973, I have made it my first destination. When I first began visiting there my two old uncles, George and Reg, were still living in the family home on Windsor Street. Every time I go to Caerphilly, I pass by the house where my father and his 6 brothers and 1 sister were raised.
Windsor Street
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I still have cousins living in Caerphilly and the nearby towns so it is a family reunion each time I'm there. These days I stay with my cousin Andrea and her husband Paul in their grand old mansion that was once a mining boss's house. Down the street from Andrea's house is St Martin's church where some of my relatives are buried in the church graveyard. Unfortunately Andrea's mom, Sheila suffered a major stroke a few years ago and is confined to a care facility. 
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St Martin's Church?
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Caerphilly has a long and interesting history. When dad grew up there it was mainly a mining town. Dad worked in the mines at nearby Bedwas from the time he was 14 yrs old until he was in his 20's. When the mining strikes began in late 1920's - 1930, he lost his mining card because he was a union organizer, so her immigrated to Canada as a farm worker. Later he became a Baptist minister.
The town is located in the Rhymney Valley and gave its name to Caerphilly cheese which originated in the area.
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Around AD 75 the Romans built a fort there during their conquest of Britain. Following the Norman invasion of Wales in the late 11th century the area remained in welsh hands. In the 12th century the area was under control of the Welsh chieftain Ifor ap Meurig. His grandson Gruffyd ap Rhys was the last Welsh lord in the area. In 1266 the English nobleman Gilbert de Clare took the area and began the construction of Caerphilly Castle on April 11, 1268.
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I love this castle as I grew up hearing stories about it. My father used to play in the castle when he was a boy. So I call it "my castle" (which amuses my cousins), and every time I visit I make sure I take a tour there to check on things. Caerphilly Castle is the largest castle in Wales, second largest in Britain (after Windsor) and one of the best preserved. There is an interesting story about the castle. It is said to be haunted by 'the Green Lady', who was the unfortunate wife of Gilbert de Clare. You can read about it here: http://www.europeupclose.com/article/the-green-lady-of-caerphilly-castle/I love to explore the castle and imagine what it was like at the time of Gilbert de Clare. Every time I go there are new displays. It's certainly well worth a visit especially if you like castles!
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Take a stroll around the moat and lake and visit the Druid stone circle.
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Originally, Caerphilly was just a small settlement south of the castle. Now the town has grown, almost become a bedroom community of Cardiff to the south. During the 1700s it was a market town. Today it's a bustling, pretty place, surrounding the castle. I always enjoy my walks through town and that breathtaking view you get of the castle.
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A good place to enjoy it is at the Old Courthouse Pub where you can sit out on the patio with a fabulous view while you eat your fish and chips and have a pint of beer or a glass of wine. 
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There are some good pubs around the town and I always get together with my cousins. This time there were just a few of us but we had fun, and I was able to sign a copy of my book for Nicola.
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I'll be back again next year, if possible. Caerphilly is like a second home to me!
NEXT: Back to London for the Historical Fiction Writer's conference.
Selasa, 22 Oktober 2013
archaeology
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architecture
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Athens
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coins
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exhibits
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Greece
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historic buildings
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FINDING SOME COIN TREASURES AT THE HEINRICH SCHLIEMANN HOUSE, ATHENS
The Heinrich Schliemann House (Numismatic Museum, Athens
As long as I lived and have visited Greece, which has been since 1979, I never once went inside the Heinrich Schliemann house, although many times I have stopped on the sidewalk to admire the painted porch. But this past summer, I happened to stroll into the garden area, seeing that the front gate was open, and I discovered that on Thursday evenings there was music in the garden. This piqued my interest, so I invited a couple of friends and we went to enjoy a relaxing evening.
Heinrich Schliemann was the man who discovered the treasures of Troy and Mycenae, some of which are exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The house was built by the famous German architect Ernst Ziller and completed in 1881. It has an Italian Renaissance style later adapted to the late 19th century neoclassicism. It was one of the most elegant houses in Athens.
I was curious to see what was inside the house, so returned a few days later to take a look. From the moment I climbed the marble staircase to enter the front door, I was amazed at the fantastic decor of the house, which now houses the Numismatic Museum. Inside, the walls and ceilings depict scenes copied from Pompeii. The mosaic floors were inspired by Schliemann's excavations of Mycenae.
Interior decor
Entrance hall
Mosaic floor
The rooms are now displays of the thousands of gold and silver coins collected or donated to the museum. This museum is unique in Greece and one of the most significant of its kind in the world. It has over 500,000 objects, coins, lead seals, weight,s medals and gems dating from the 14th century BC to the present time.
I was completely delighted to find gold staters from the time of Philip I of Macedonia and his famous son Alexander the Great. And I even found a silver tetradrachma exactly like the ring I wear.
There were also gold drachmae issued at the time of several of Alexander's successors such as Ptolemy and Lysimachos. Of course this interested me because of my novel SHADOW OF THE LION and all the research I had done.
I'm glad I took the time to stop and visit inside the Schliemann House. The Museum is open Tuesday - Sunday from 8.30 am - 3.30 pm. The entrance fee is just 3 Euro (1 Euro less for seniors and students) and there are some special days that are free. It's located at 12 El. Venizelou (Panapistomiou Ave.) not far from Syntagma Square. Music in the garden is held during the summer months on Thursdays. www.nma.gr
You can read a more complete story about my visit to Schliemann's House at
http://www.europeupclose.com/article/heinrich-schliemanns-house-in-athens/
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